Aiken County considers tougher sex offender lawAssociated Press
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
AIKEN — Aiken County leaders are trying to work out the details of a tougher sex offender law that could keep anyone on the sex offender list from living within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, churches or anywhere else children gather. The ordinance has passed two of three needed votes. County officials said the law is needed because Georgia has passed a similar crackdown, leaving authorities worried some offenders will go where the registration laws aren't so strict. Fifteen Georgia offenders have moved into Aiken County since the state passed the law, according to the Aiken County Sheriff's Office. The county has about 250 registered sex offenders. The next vote on the Aiken County proposal will be Sept. 18. One councilman doesn't want to pass the stricter rules unless they include exemptions for sex offenders who were convicted of charges such as statutory rape. The new law can either do something politically popular or target sex offenders who truly are considered a threat toward children, Councilman Scott Singer said. "You don't want to drive folks underground," Singer said. "We're a safer community if we know where sex offenders, particularly sexual predators, are." Lori Collins is watching the debate. She had to register as a sex offender after she was convicted in 2002 of having sex with a 15-year-old boy in Georgia; she was 39. She wants to move from Bowden, Ga., to be closer to her family. Collins, now a prison minister, said she was addicted to painkillers and alcohol and essentially was passed out when the crime happened. She said she served three years in prison, but continues to be punished for her mistake. |
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Posted by Pols101 on September 4, 2007 at 8 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think these types of rules should be passed by the state legislature. The county really has no business dealing with this issue. Most council members are too intellectually challenged to get it right. There are serious constitutional issues that must be considered when passing these laws.
Posted by majorjohnson on September 4, 2007 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The reason those folk are moving to SC is because there is practically nowhere in GA they can live. Look around folks, you can't be 1000 feet from schools, parks, churches, bus stops, day care, libraries...how many places are there that are not within 1000 feet of a place a child might be? Even out here in the middle of nowhere you'd have to be as far from a neighbor as I am to not be near a child's school bus stop, and places like where I live aren't all that common, even in rural states like SC and GA. There are a few counties in GA where there are NO houses anywhere within the county that a sex offender can live in, and I expect they are going to have some constitutional battles coming up. Most sex offenders are not the types you care to defend, but also consider that some of the sex offenders are 17 year olds who had consensual sex with a 16 year old 10 years ago.
Our sex offender laws are like our zero tolerance laws in schools...they are really zero intelligence laws where a tweety bird key chain is considered a weapon.
Posted by stephaniem on September 4, 2007 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
that is my arguement too.
as a rape victim and as someone who was sexually assaulted (some adult tried to slide his hand down my jeans as a teen)
I want to beat up sex offenders but I just met a guy who is very immature for his age. He was 19 and he got together with a 14 yr old and he was charged. He wasn't even charged on a federal level (age 16) but locally so if he didn't plead guilty, he would have won but he was dumb. I still think the age limit was a bit much but it isn't like a dirty old man was going after some young females.
if trinitytim comes over here, can we research a person's case if we know their name. I don't know if this guy is telling me the truth or not. He isn't on the sex offenders list and I know his name.